The time was now to turn around, to walk resolutely out of the snarling web of twisted lies and usurious secrets knotted around her for some 30 years by then and into the light of a life she could call her own. Out of tangled shadows and into a life where she could meet herself and be herself and learn to trust herself as the honest, realistic person she can be, simply because that’s her created design.
This is a quote from a new book soon to be released entitled My Father’s Hand and you can read a chapter a week over at the blog My Father’s Hand by Nanci Haigler Flynn. This is a book about endurance. She’s my mom by the way. So that makes reading this more difficult, but also more important. I haven’t read the entire book yet but I would have to guess that some of what she endured came from me. But so far this is one of the most honest and inspiring witnesses I’ve ever read.
I nag you guys all the time to tell your witness. Tell your witness. God put these events, the good and the bad, in your life for the benefit of others who need to hear your story. Don’t keep your story a secret. If you’re wondering how you tell your story, with all of its hurt and dirt and drama and pain, then read My Father’s Hand.
We were all built to be heroes. It’s about time we started acting like heroes.
365 Days Later 
I share quite a bit, especially on my blog. My Facebook Page, too. My story is wrapped in pain and anguish, but also triumph and hope. Childhood sexual assault. It isn’t a pretty story, but it’s mine. The ending is better than the beginning, because Jesus is included and he has redeemed my beginning.
I don’t think I’ve actually told my story outright… even in my book. Maybe it’s time to re-write?
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I think there is a simple answer to your question of whether it’s time to re-write the book: Would you have wanted to have that book to read when you went through it? There are people right now going through what you went through and cycling through anger, rage, sadness, guilt, all of it. It’s hard to say when you’re ready to write it. But it’s easy to say that there is an audience for it. With your difficult history, I really wish you had NO audience. But you do, sadly. If you decide to rewrite, you know where to find me for encouragement.
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True! So very sad there are too many who could benefit from my book.
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Or maybe it’s time to write the story of the person you are being transformed to be by Our Father’s hand.
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i already do write the transformed part. At least, I think that’s what I’m writing from! LOL
Haven’t really told my full story… just bits and pieces.
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I think it is so beautiful how God uses all of our life- the good, bad, and the ugly- to draw others to Him. In leading worship, I have shared many personal things- but only when I feel He is leading me to do so. We all have a story to tell…we just need to let Him be the Author and to do it for His glory.
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So so so wish I could lead worship. But as I type that I realize I lead about 80 kids a week in large group Sunday School, so what the heck am I saying? It’s different with them. I don’t share all the hard stuff as a group. I wonder sometimes if I could one-on-one. I love it when the kids come up to me after and ask questions, or feel compelled to tell me something. Usually it’s something simple and happy. But every once in a while you get that tough question, one that I could really speak to. So far I have not. I worry about the parents, you know? Perhaps I shouldn’t as much… But like you note in your comment: it’s all been in my life for a reason.
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There is stuff I long to share because I know there are people out there struggling but some stuff is just too intimate for a blog. I share what I can. Looking forward to reading your Mum’s story though (sorry, should be Mom but I’m British. LOL)
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Yeah blogs are one way to go. But the best witnesses are shared face to face. You’re so right.
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Thanks so much for your comment, son, and for your support in many ways over a very great many years. Just so you know, readers and followers of Cannot Contain, in addition to being my son and faithful cheerleader, James is my writing coach [sometimes spelled n-a-g], and he is very much a part of this story, as is his older brother, Bill. But at the heart of my story is Our Father, who has held my little family in the palm of his holy hand through it all, and who holds us there today.
He’s holding you in his hand, too, whether you realize that or not. And he picks you up and puts you back in his hand every time you climb out of its safety on some wild tangent of your own that lands you squarely on your head in your own will. I’ve gained a great many understandings about life in the real world by learning my lessons the hard way, and nothing makes me happier than the thought of someone else learning from a mistake of mine so they don’t have to go through the kind of consequences I brought on myself.
If you take a look at ‘My Father’s Hand’, you’ll see what I mean. You might even learn something from my mistakes that saves you from your own tumble out of Our Father’s holy hand..
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🙂 love you mom!
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Right back at ya, son … all things work together for us because we love the Lord and are called according to his purposes.
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Sharing a life’s story and including the hurtful, painful things, the mistakes, the disappointments, etc. can be a very difficult thing to do, especially give the fact that some of the things shared could be very hurtful to one’s children or others if they knew about them. I’ve written some things about my life but they were written on an anonymous web site where nobody knew me and that was difficult enough. I admire your
Mom and others for their courage.
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Yeah she’s pretty amazing…. an inspiration.
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Your mother serves an amazing God, and she’s greatly blessed by that.
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